Hood fire at popular Greek Islands restaurant

Popular Birmingham dining spot Greek Islands, 221 Hamilton Row, suffered a hood fire that shot through the roof on Thursday, March 3, but the Birmingham fire marshal believes it can reopen after repairs and new equipment.

Fire Marshal Jack Pesha of the Birmingham Fire Department said a passerby saw flames coming out the roof of the eatery around 8:20 a.m., and called 911. Pesha said he was doing inspections at businesses nearby and quickly arrived at the scene, where he saw “a four-foot flame shoot straight up out of the roof.”

While there was a lot of smoke, Birmingham fire fighters were able to quickly manage the fire. Pesha said fire fighters saw one of the co-owners trying to put out the fire on the commercial stove in the kitchen with a fire extinguisher, but the fire had spread through the fire hood up through the ceiling of the building. He said the kitchen equipment and ceiling sustained heavy damage, and the roof had moderate damage.

There were no injuries, and Pesha said it appears to have been an accidental fire.